The statewide bag bill, AB 298, was unable to move out of a committee before the end of the legislative session on Friday. But local governments are picking up where the state left off.

Yesterday evening the Chico City Council voted 5-2 to continue working towards a plastic bag ban. The proposal had previously been discussed in two other council committees. Draft ordinance language and an environmental review will be written and reviewed in the coming months.

Although it is still not finalized, the ordinance would likely ban plastic bags in all Chico area retail stores while allowing paper bags to be purchased for ten cents.

Some council members expressed that a statewide, uniform policy is the best way to deal with plastic bag pollution. Unfortunately, that will not be able to happen this year.

But with Chico and other local governments, like Huntington Beach, San Mateo County, West Contra Costa County, and others poised to pass their own local bag bans, the momentum will help lead the way to an eventual statewide law on plastic bag pollution.